Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Spotlight On...Chris Foley

Why theater?: I love to perform live and connect with an audience. I also love the unpredictability of the theater, which teaches me to have no expectations as a performer.

Tell us about Off The Desk: It’s a comedic story of a guy who picked a career in finance that didn’t suit him and his journey to find something that makes him happy.

What inspired you to write Off The Desk?: I had all these funny and poignant stories from working on Wall Street and wanted to share them with an audience. It has also been cathartic to share experiences that at one point were quite painful but over time became comedic.

What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: I love comedy, including dark comedies like Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf. My inspirations are Larry David, Colin Quinn, Harrison Ford, Billy Crystal and Sylvester Stallone.

If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: Larry David, Jon Hamm, Tracey Letts, Gary Oldman.

What show have you recommended to your friends?:Something Rotten and Colin Quinn’s The New York Story.

Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?: Domhnall Gleason would play me and the movie would be an extension of my play, also called Off The Desk.

If you could go back in time and see any play or musical you missed, what would it be?: I would loved to have seen Mark Rylance in Jerusalem.

What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: Fantasy Football

If you weren’t working in theater, you would be _____?: A rock star

What’s up next?: My solo show, Off The Desk (Tales of a Mediocre Stockbroker)